Gluten Free Double Chocolate Chip Cookies

Make a batch of gluten free double chocolate chip cookies in a half hour using only one bowl. They are the easiest way to satisfy your chocolate cravings. 

Moist, chewy and rich - these cookies are calling your name! No one will even know they are gluten free.

Jump to:

• Ingredients
• How to make these cookies dairy free
• Gluten free flours
• Blooming cocoa powder - why & how
• Dutch-process cocoa powder - what is it?
• How to make double chocolate chip cookies
• Tips for making these
• Making your cookies all the same size
• Storage
• Recipe

Ingredients

Craving a rich, chocolatey gluten free cookie? Here’s what you’ll need to make your own:

• Unsalted butter: use a dairy free (or lactose free) version, if needed.
• Cocoa powder: one of the 2 chocolate sources for these rich & delicious cookies. Cocoa powder is naturally gluten free, but always check product labels for gluten ingredients and warnings.
• Brown sugar: I used a light brown sugar, but any version will do.
• Granulated sugar
• 1 egg + 1 egg yolk: add one full egg to the bowl, plus the yolk of a second egg.
• Vanilla extract: guess what? Vanilla extract is naturally gluten free!
• Gluten free flour: I use a blend of white rice flour, tapioca starch & sorghum flour (get the recipe here), but feel free to try whatever brand you prefer. Just note that the taste and texture may not be exactly the same. 
• Baking soda: to help give the cookies their chewy texture!
• Xanthan gum: if you’re using a pre-made gluten free flour blend that already contains xanthan gum, omit it from the recipe.
• Salt
• Chocolate chips: the second source of chocolate for these double chocolate cookies! Feel free to use a dairy free/vegan version if needed. (We love the Enjoy Life brand around here - chocolate chips or chunks!)

How to make these cookies dairy free

Need to make a batch of gluten free dairy free double chocolate chip cookies? Perfect - it’s so easy to do!

Here are the ingredient switches you’ll need to make:

• Substitute the unsalted butter for a dairy free version. Need some suggestions? Check out these dairy free butter options. Most dairy free butters are salted, so omit the extra salt from the recipe if needed.
• Use dairy free chocolate chips. We love the Enjoy Life brand, but there are plenty of others out there! 
• Check to ensure your cocoa powder is dairy free. Some brands have “may contain milk” warnings on their labels, so check yours carefully.

Make & bake the cookies as instructed with these recipe changes for rich and chewy dairy free double chocolate cookies!

Gluten free flours

Oh, the great gluten free flour debacle. So many different kinds to choose from - which one is the best?

I’ve tried over the years to use premade blends with some successes, but mostly a lot of failures. That’s why I’ve started making my own blend using white rice flour, tapioca starch & sorghum flour. (Check here for more substitutions for this blend - there are lots!)

This blend gives a good taste and texture without being too gritty or gummy. No recipe fails yet with this combination! I always mix a big batch and store it in an airtight glass jar in my pantry.

I know that blending 3 different types of gluten free flours together can be a pain. If you have a great brand of a pre-made blend that works, feel free to try it in this recipe! Gluten free cookie recipes can be more forgiving than other types of baked goods, so you might have smashing success with other flours! (Just note - if any blends you use already contain xanthan gum, omit it from the recipe.)

Blooming cocoa powder - why & how

Wondering what blooming cocoa powder is all about? It’s a super easy process that brings out the rich chocolatey flavour from the cocoa. Here’s how it works…

To bloom cocoa powder you simply add it to a hot liquid or fat. In this recipe, melted unsalted butter is the fat that’s used to bloom the cocoa powder.

Why do we need to bloom cocoa powder in the first place?

Cocoa powder is made by removing the shell of the cacao bean. What remains is called cocoa nibs, which are ground up into a paste. From that paste, the oils (known as cocoa butter) are removed - the remaining solids are dried and ground into cocoa powder. Tada! Easy process, right?

During the removal of the cacao bean seed, there’s a thin membrane that can remain attached to the cocoa particles. Adding cocoa powder into a hot liquid loosens this membrane, exposes more cocoa particles and increases the flavour.

This step is already built into the recipe, which is why these gluten free double chocolate chip cookies are so dang chocolatey and delicious!

Dutch-process cocoa powder - what is it?

So there are a few options when it comes to cocoa powder. Raw cacao, natural cocoa powder and Dutch-processed. Here’s a breakdown of the differences:

• Raw cacao powder is minimally processed, so it’s the purest form of chocolate powder. Unroasted cacao beans are cold-pressed and dried. It’s full of antioxidants, but also has a very dark chocolate and bitter taste. I don’t recommend using it in this recipe.
• Natural cocoa powder is made by removing the shell of the cacao bean, pressing out the cocoa butter oils and drying the remaining solids. The resulting cocoa powder is acidic and using this in baked goods results in reddish-brown bakes and are still super tasty!
• Dutch-processed cocoa powder is what’s used in this recipe. It’s made by soaking the cocoa beans in an alkaline (basic) solution before processing. This means the cocoa powder is neutral (not acidic or basic), has a darker colour and a smoother chocolate taste. 

Since natural cocoa powder is acidic and dutch-processed cocoa powder is neutral - don’t switch them for one another in most recipes. It can cause problems with the leaveners (baking soda & baking powder) and could result in flat, disappointing baked goods.

Note: In this recipe, baking soda is used which doesn’t normally work well with dutch-processed baking powder. To remedy this, brown sugar (which is acidic) is used to help baking soda do its job… and create a soft, chewy cookie that’s as addictive as they get!

Need suggestions for brands of cocoa powder? Check out this post.

How to make double chocolate chip cookies

If you’re ready to make the best gluten free double chocolate chip cookies, keep reading! You’ll only need 1 large bowl. 

Start by preheating your oven to 350°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Mix the melted unsalted butter and cocoa powder together until smooth. Then add in the brown sugar, granulated sugar, egg + egg yolk and vanilla extract. Mix the wet ingredients until thoroughly combined then add in the gluten free flour, baking soda, xanthan gum, and salt. Continue to mix until no lumps remain and the cookie dough is thick and sticky.

Using a slightly heaped tablespoon (about 25g), roll dough into small balls and spread apart on the cookie sheet. 

Bake for about 10 minutes until the tops of the cookies start to crackle, but the centers still look soft. Remove from the baking sheet and cool on a wire rack.

Tips for making these

Here are a few helpful tips to use when baking the best gluten free double chocolate chip cookies!

• Use a silicone spatula. I have a favorite silicone spatula I use for just about everything. It’s been in a nasty fight with my Ninja blender, but it’s still my go to utensil! Reason why I love it so much? You can scrape everything from the edge of the bowl. It’s perfect for getting every last bit of cookie dough out, onto the baking sheet and into your mouth!
• If the dough is too sticky to roll, chill it for a bit. Gluten free doughs are notoriously sticky and this one is no different. It’s a thicker dough which should be ok for rolling without chilling, but if you find it’s just too sticky to handle - pop it into the fridge for 20 minutes to cool. Then begin rolling again.
• Keep some chocolate chips aside for topping the cookies. Want Instagram worthy cookies that will have your loved ones drooling? Keep aside a few handfuls of chocolate chips and place them into the tops of the cookie balls after rolling. They’ll sit on the top of the cookies after baking - all warm, gooey and inviting.

Making your cookies all the same size

Homemade cookies don’t always have to be irregularly shaped and different sizes! 

Here are two strategies you can use to make your cookies the same size:

• Use a cookie scoop. Level off the cookie scoop to use the same amount of dough for each cookie. If the amount of dough is more than a tablespoon, adjust your bake time as necessary for larger cookies.
• Use a kitchen scale. Weigh out exactly 25 grams of dough for each cookie, roll each into a ball and place on the cookie sheet.

If you use either one of these strategies and end up with irregular shaped/sized cookies, your oven could be the issue. Hot spots in the oven can cause underbaking or over-baking, which impacts the final shape and size. (I have a temperamental oven. But I don’t blame it - it works hard every single day!)

Storage

Store baked cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. (If they aren’t all eaten by then!)

For longer term storage, place cooled cookies in a freezer bag or airtight container and freeze for up to a month.

Recipe

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